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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Use of surgical task shifting to scale up essential surgical services: A feasibility analysis at facility level in Uganda
BMC Health Services Research, Volume 13, No. 1, Article 292, Year 2013
Notification
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Description
Background: The shortage and mal-distribution of surgical specialists in sub-Saharan African countries is born out of shortage of individuals choosing a surgical career, limited training capacity, inadequate remuneration, and reluctance on the part of professionals to work in rural and remote areas, among other reasons. This study set out to assess the views of clinicians and managers on the use of task shifting as an effective way of alleviating shortages of skilled personnel at a facility level. Methods. 37 in-depth interviews with key informants and 24 focus group discussions were held to collect qualitative data, with a total of 80 healthcare managers and frontline health workers at 24 sites in 15 districts. Quantitative and descriptive facility data were also collected, including operating room log sheets to identify the most commonly conducted operations. Results: Most health facility managers and health workers supported surgical task shifting and some health workers practiced it. The practice is primarily driven by a shortage of human resources for health. Personnel expressed reluctance to engage in surgical task shifting in the absence of a regulatory mechanism or guiding policy. Those in favor of surgical task shifting regarded it as a potential solution to the lack of skilled personnel. Those who opposed it saw it as an approach that could reduce the quality of care and weaken the health system in the long term by opening it to unregulated practice and abuse of privilege. There were enough patient numbers and basic infrastructure to support training across all facilities for surgical task shifting. Conclusion: Whereas surgical task shifting was viewed as a short-term measure alongside efforts to train and retain adequate numbers of surgical specialists, efforts to upscale its use were widely encouraged. © 2013 Galukande et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Galukande, Moses
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Kaggwa, Sam
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Sekimpi, Patrick
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Kakaire, Othman
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Katamba, Achilles
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Munabi, Ian Guyton
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Runumi, Francis Mwesigye
Uganda, Kampala
Uganda Ministry of Health
Mills, Edward J.
United States, Seattle
University of Washington
Hagopian, Amy
Canada, Vancouver
The University of British Columbia
Blair, Geoffrey K.
Canada, Ottawa
University of Ottawa
Barnhart, Scott
Canada, Vancouver
The University of British Columbia
Luboga, Samuel Abilemech
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Statistics
Citations: 46
Authors: 12
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1186/1472-6963-13-292
e-ISSN:
14726963
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Qualitative
Quantitative
Study Locations
Uganda